Meeting new people can be life-changing, especially when you end up building a deep bond with them. However, some folks interacted with a stranger once, for a brief moment, and were never able to forget it. Despite no relationship ever coming of it, with few even getting to learn their name, these strangers’ actions had a lifelong impact.
The day my dad died, I was holding it together pretty well. Late that night I went to Target to have a moment to just zone out, and buy a few groceries.
As I got to the checkout with my arm full of stuff, I dropped a container of sour cream and it exploded everywhere. I completely lost control of myself and started to cry. The ugly cry. I was instantly surrounded by a group of women who just took charge of the whole situation. They helped me get everything paid for, cleaned up, and one lady even got a new sour cream.
No words were spoken, but their compassion and take charge attitude has stayed with me since. © misdolnurs2517 / RedditNew York City bar: I was on a first date and there was an old guy at the bar — looked like an old fisherman from a novel — and he was convinced my date and I were already married. He went on and on about it. We said we weren’t married, and he told us we were meant to be together and would be married for a long time. He talked with us for a good 15 minutes about this.
My date and I did get married about a year later and have been together almost 25 years now. © DangReadingRabbit / RedditWhen I was at Disneyland a few years ago, a woman approached me out of the blue in the middle of Main St. and asked if I’d like to dance. I obliged her, and we spent the next few minutes chatting while her friends filmed us dancing.
It turns out it was her birthday and she was traversing the park on a birthday scavenger hunt, and one of the items on the list was to dance with a stranger. I wished her a happy birthday, we said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways.
I never even got her name, but it still makes me smile when I think about it. © lazyfriction / Reddit
I was leaving the gym and walked down a long hallway, and didn’t remember having any money on me.
As soon as I stepped outside, I heard a coin drop, and looked down and $2 seemed to have fallen from somewhere on me. It was strange because I didn’t have any money on me, and it would have fallen off of me inside while walking, I thought. It rolls and I pick it up. I was confused because I don’t know where the $2 came from.
I look up and there’s a homeless man in a wheelchair playing harmonica who I otherwise would have passed by. I gave the $2 to him. He said, «thank you,» I said, «no problem.» I began to walk away, and he said, «Good, and you?» I played along and said, «oh, good! Where did you learn to play harmonica?» He proceeded to tell me that he used to play all sorts of instruments until he had his stroke, and showed me that one of his arms didn’t work anymore.
He was a nice guy, and it made my day a bit better. It was a nice and humbling moment. © StencilBoy / RedditI had about a 2-hour drive from Columbus to the Cleveland area. I tend to drive on the faster side, and therefore pass a lot of people. I noticed about 20 minutes into the drive that the car behind me was still the same one that got onto the highway right behind me.
We ended up driving the entire 2 hours right next to each other or in front of/behind each other. We created space in lanes to help the other pass the slower cars and made sure the other wouldn’t fall behind. As I was getting off the highway, he honked his horn, gave me a big smile, and waved. It has been my favorite driving experience so far. © livecaterpillarflesh / RedditI was playing on my Nintendo DS in the subway when I caught a random connection. I looked up to see if I could spot the other person with a DS, and wound up locking eyes with this incredibly intense little boy who was seated a few benches away from me.
«DO YOU HAVE POKÉMON,» he asked, and as it turned out, I did in fact have Pokémon. With that, our fate was sealed. There’s this thing in the Pokémon games where, if you meet the gaze of another trainer on your journey, then you must do battle. I had just experienced this in real life.
He destroyed me. All level 100s. Felt like I was an extra in the anime doing battle with the protagonist. © mus_maximus / Reddit
It was the night before Christmas Eve, about 8:30 pm. My mom was trying to sell our place, we’d moved a few blocks away in with my new stepdad. The driveway needed to be clear and there was about a foot and a half of snow to shovel. I was still pretty young, and it was going to be a big job.
I trudged over there with my shovel, and just started the first row, when a random guy in a snowplow turned in and cleared the whole driveway in two minutes, easy. He was wearing the red plaid jacket and toque combo — classic Canadian look.
I was worried as we hadn’t hired a snow removal guy, but he just waved and said Merry Christmas and drove off. Thanks, snowplow guy, you taught me a thing or two about Christmas spirit. © SneakNSnore / RedditI was 13 and waiting for a taxi. It was raining, and I had no umbrella, so I got soaked. This guy next to me sheltered me from the rain with his umbrella. We talked while waiting for the taxi, and he was so easy and fun to talk to! (Note: I was a shy kid with few friends, so this was a unique event).
After about 15 minutes, another guy came up on his scooter. My guy told him that I was a friend of his and if he could drop me to my destination. So yeah, I just climbed on this stranger’s scooter and took the lift home. Perhaps that was dumb, looking back on it.
Anyway, I still think of this guy and the kindness he showed me to this day, even though I don’t even know his name or remember his face. © metaxtase / RedditI was about 10 years old, and I had a pair of Heelys, and they were the coolest thing on the Earth. I would roll all over on those things and thought I was the hottest.
We were in China, spending a few weeks in Beijing. I was rolling around in Tiananmen Square, hit a crack and lost one of the wheels. I looked around for about an hour, but to no avail. I was probably visibly bummed, as my Heelys, the things that made me cool, were now ineffective and basically ruined.
The next morning, I was walking through the square on the way to meet my friends, and an older gentleman ran up to me and stopped me — he had found my wheel. He said that he had seen me rolling around and saw me looking for the wheel after I fell. He saw that I gave up, and stuck around for another hour to keep looking after I left. He came there the next morning with no expectation that I’d pass through, but wanted to be there just in case.
I’m not sure who was happier, me that I got my wheel back or him because he didn’t think he’d see me in literally the world’s busiest square. I said thank you and that was about it. We both had places to be and that was that. © Unknown author / Reddit
While out for a long walk to take some photos in Wellington, New Zealand, I stop to drink some water, and get chatting with a guy sitting on the park bench.
He was homeless in that he didn’t have a permanent residence, but he considered himself more of a nomad, touring around the country, and had made his way from the UK to New Zealand over the course of a few years.
He went on about how he used to work in London, got sick of his corporate job, and went travelling with the remainder of his savings, never looking back. He’s eventually burnt his savings, and was now happily stranded in New Zealand.
I still remember his initials were D.G., and he asked if I wanted to take a photo of him. I’d taken hundreds of photos of landscapes, animals, and people, but his one was my favorite from the day. © Rick0r / RedditOn a night out, I was feeling pretty rough, so I was sat down on some steps eating a box of hot chips. This group of girls walked past, one of them in a yellow with black polka dot dress and a flower halo, broke off and sat next to me. She had a thick Irish accent.
— «What’s yer name?»
— «Jolly. You?»
— «Anette. Ask me where I live.»
— «…alright, where do you live?»
She grabbed one of my chips, put it in her mouth and said «in the moment», kissed my forehead and ran off to join her group again.
Still think about her. © JollyOldB***n / RedditThe day I found out my grandmother had a stroke and would never walk or talk again, I was away at college. I finally broke down in a bathroom. A girl came in and asked if I needed a hug. I was crying so hard that I really didn’t get a look at her face.
I cried on her shoulder for about 10 minutes and then had to pull myself together and leave for class. I never explained myself, and she never asked. I never recognized or spoke to her again. I wonder if she sometimes saw me on campus and wondered what was up and if I was okay. © AvadaKedavras / Reddit
These weren’t the only people who were left with a lasting impression after a random encounter with a stranger. You can read more of these real stories here.
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